John Ondrasik isn’t afraid to speak his mind when he feels the cause needs him.
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In recent months, he’s been outspoken about the U.S. military evacuation from Afghanistan, launched a docs-series called Meet The Heroes, and written music expressing those sentiments of protest, as well.
The platinum-selling Ondrasik also received a great deal of attention for his song, “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” in the wake of 9/11 some 20 years ago. That song became the unofficial anthem of the recovery efforts after the tragic attacks in New York City.
Now, the Grammy-nominated artist is doing even more.
Ondrasik recently performed his song “Can One Man Save the World?” with the Ukrainian Orchestra in Kyiv, Ukraine, to raise awareness about the ongoing conflict and Russian invasion of the war-torn country. And proceeds from the performance will go towards aid for the nation.
According to a press statement about the new track, “The song, inspired by the courage of President Vladimir Zelensky and the people of Ukraine, asks the nation, and the world, to stand up for the core values of freedom and justice.”
Added Ondrasik, “I was honored to perform my new Ukraine tribute song Can One Man Save the World? with the Ukrainian Orchestra in the ruins of the Antonov Airport—in front of the Ukrainians’ beloved Mriya, the world’s largest cargo plane that Russia destroyed at the outset of the war. In sharing this musical collaboration on such hallowed ground, I saw firsthand the fortitude and grace of the Ukrainian people, who whether playing a violin or driving a tank, will not be deterred by Putin’s atrocities and aggressions.”
To achieve his goal of filming the music video in a war zone, Ondrasik enlisted the aid of Save Our Allies (SOA), a direct-response rescue and relief organization formed during the fall of Afghanistan to assist with evacuations from those fleeing the Taliban. Since its founding in August 2021, SOA’s impact has continued in Afghanistan while extending to Ukraine, where they have provided on-the-ground support with precision evacuations, including the rescue of injured Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall, and “last mile” medical and logistics support.
“I had been working with Save Our Allies in the wake of the withdrawal of Afghanistan, so I already had great admiration for Nick, Sarah Verardo, and their SOA colleagues. They were, and are, heroes who gave me hope with their determination to keep the American promise by rescuing our Afghan allies abandoned in Afghanistan. But this was something different,” explains Ondrasik. “I asked Nick if he knew any guys crazy enough to travel into a war zone to film the video. As I would hear often in the next few weeks on our journey, ‘We will figure it out.’”
Wrote Ondrasik on Twitter, sharing the news of the performance, “I was honored to perform my song “Can One Man Save the World?”, with the valiant Ukrainian Orchestra in Kyiv. Proceeds of song/video will go to my incredible partners @saveourallies to help the Ukrainian people. Pls watch and share. History Starts Now! http://saveourallies.org“
Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Capital Concerts
